Industry stats show downturn in powerboat sales - MarineBusinessWorld.com North America newsletter
by Peter Rendle 30 Oct 2024 13:00 PDT
NMMA's 2023 U.S. Recreational Boating Statistical Abstract © National Marine Manufacturers Association
The latest report on total industry sales by category and state, part of NMMA's 2023 U.S. Recreational Boating Statistical Abstract, is now available for download.
This section provides data on recreational boat and marine engine retail sales by marine segment and geographical location, including unit sales, dollar value, and average retail prices, along with total recreational marine expenditures.
The Powerboat Sales Trends report, part of NMMA's 2023 U.S. Recreational Boating Statistical Abstract, indicates that the U.S. new powerboat market saw a downturn last year due to broader economic pressures and shifting consumer preferences. Total new powerboat unit sales declined 6.8% to 176,643 units in 2023. Notably, new jet boat sales saw a 44.3% increase in unit sales, particularly in Florida, Texas and California, driven by strong demand for fiberglass models.
Overseas, METSTRADE has announced that 58 products from 28 countries have been nominated to enter the final rounds of assessment for the 33rd edition of the globally recognised DAME Design Awards. Winners will be announced on the first day of the show, 19 November. Following intensive online scrutiny of entries, the DAME Design Award's international jury - comprising nine leading design and user experts - gathered at RAI Amsterdam for hands-on assessment and discussion. For the first time, the Jury included a sustainability consultant and a master's-level design student, adding fresh perspectives to the team's broad expertise.
The Coast Guard Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to strengthening the Coast Guard community and service by supporting members and families, announced that it has awarded 207 new scholarships in 2024, totalling $750,000 in support for the 2024-2025 academic year. Since the program's inception in 1990, the Foundation has awarded $8.3 million for more than 2,400 scholarships, ensuring Coast Guard children can build strong futures through a college education or technical school training.
The Association of Marina Industries has certified 17 new marina personnel from Suntex as Clean & Resilient Marina Professionals. The participants completed an in-person course in Dallas, Texas over 2 days to receive their certification. The intensive course taught federal regulatory requirements, best management practices, and green techniques for operating a marina that places minimal impact on its natural surroundings and sets itself up to be resilient as the environment changes.
Nominations are being accepted for the 2025 Alan J. Freedman Memorial Leadership Award. Recipients of the NMMA's Freedman Award are individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the marine accessories industry through leadership, creativity and personal motivation. The following are categories for consideration: Marine aftermarket or OEM manufacturer, marine representative, member of marine-focused media, boat dealer, marine distributor, marine trade association staff person.
Product Developments: Raymarine announced this week a free upgrade to its line of award-winning Alpha Performance Displays with the release of the Alpha 3.0 software update. Packed with valuable tools for interacting with instrument data such as new visualizations and autopilot integration, boaters can now get even more from their Alpha displays with an easy-to-install update.
Dockmate, also announced this week that its revolutionary new feature for their wireless remote-control systems, Dockmate Positioning System (DPS), has been completely redesigned for easy retrofit, increased safety and ease of use.
The magic of DPS V2 is that it is completely self-contained within the Receiver. Because the Dockmate Receiver already handles control of engines/motors and thrusters through its existing integrations, DPS V2 needs less hardware to achieve the same results as much more expensive aftermarket dynamic positioning systems.
Meanwhile Lowrance®, a world-leader in fishing electronics, announced the expansion of its Elite FS ® line with new 10 and 12-inch display sizes, giving anglers access to the full line-up of Lowrance fishfinding tools, including live sonar on a larger screen, at an attractive price point. "We expanded our Elite FS family of units to include two additional sizes that give anglers more choices to upgrade their toolkit with live sonar on a larger, more affordable screen," said Jeremiah Clark, VP and General Manager, Fishing Systems at Navico Group. "Our mission is to empower anglers with gear that drive success on the water. Including our full suite of sonar technology and seamless integration with the boat's entire system, Elite FS is a powerful fishfinder that delivers exceptional value that performance anglers will appreciate."
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Marine Business World - North American-based news from the largest boating news network
Stay tuned,
Peter Rendle - peter.rendle@worldmarine.media